Ivan Ramos
3M is an American company operating in many fields of industry, worker safety, health care, and consumer goods. Most of us know them for producing face masks and respirator filters that we use to protect us from the Covid-19 virus. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, 3M joined forces with organizations like Ford Motors Company and GE HealthCare to produce medical equipment and protective gear for medical workers. That includes life saving essentials such as face masks, face shields, respirators and ventilators. These tools greatly helped in the effort to protect people globally during an international emergency. I interacted with this brand regularly during my travels abroad and during my daily commutes because I wanted to use a product that I can rely on and trust. Later on I realized that 3M was much more than a company that produces masks.
3M has been around for more than a century. They started as a local mining and manufacturing company in Minnesota. Now they are known by many, since their products and services improve the lives of people around the world. They have a presence in many industries like Industrial and Transportation, Display and Graphics, Consumer, Safety, and Security, Electronic and Communications. 3M helps customers and communities to face challenges by coming up with ways to turn waste into nutrients, providing clean water for people, improving healthcare and changing the way we use energy for the better. We all know that climate change is an important topic affecting our generation. 3M keeps communities powered with low carbon energy in a way that is sustainable and safe for the planet by making it easier to connect renewable energy to the main power grid. They also are positively affecting the way we use transportation. 3M has developed a lithium salt battery technology for electric cars, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. They even developed a special glass for cars to make them stronger and lighter which saves people money and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Their innovations led them to create a smart transportation system for dense cities in Asia. Along with reflective sheets so drivers can see road signs sooner and more clearly. Health and safety is also at the top 3M’s ethical principles. They apply their expertise to improve the taste and purity of water by removing odors and contaminants by reducing inorganic particles, bacteria and viruses from the water. This is especially helpful in developing communities where food insecurities exist.
Employees at 3M say the company is a great place to work because they feel 3M invests in the work culture and the people that works for them which leads to positive values and productivity. They see that the company aligns with their purpose of making the world a better place to live by supporting personal and community development, which makes corporate social responsibly a top priority for them. Their core values of respect for social and physical environment, relationship with their customers and the community affect how they do business and their long term decision making. For more than a hundred years 3M has been improving daily life globally and reshaping the way we live through engineering, science, innovation and sustainability.
